Lifeline offered to care home

A Black Country respite care centre threatened with closure could be taken over by a private operator.

The suggestion, which offers a lifeline to Warstone House in West Bromwich, was made by Sandwell Council's deputy leader.

Councillor Steve Eling, said the home, which provides families of disabled people with respite care, could stay open outside local authority control. His comments were made at a debate in West Bromwich arts centre The Public.

More than 60 invited guests attended the debate last night. Entitled Funding the Future, cuts were the main topic on the agenda.

A panel, made up of West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey, Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris and Solihull MP Lorely Burt were quizzed on education, employment, social services and youth training during the one-and-a-half hour debate.

Council-run Warstone House in Salters Lane, is facing closure due to high running costs. It is currently used by 70 people with learning disabilities and has 31 staff.

The panel was quizzed by member of the audience Dawn Howard, who asked why, when the public had been assured the vulnerable would be protected during the cuts, were there plans to close a facility such as Warstone House.

Councillor Eling, who was also in the audience, said nationally local authorities are changing the way they provide care.

He said: "There is an acceleration away from direct social care facilities to personalised budgets, where users are provided with cash to buy in their own services. At the moment there is consultation about the future of the centre. However, it may well be that someone else is able to run it."

Speaking afterwards, Councillor Eling said: "If another organisation was interested in coming in to take over then I am sure the potential is there."